Privacy Policy for FreeShadow

Effective date: May 27, 2026
App: FreeShadow (iOS)
Developer: Slyned

Summary

FreeShadow is designed to be fully on-device and privacy-respecting. The app does not require an account, does not collect personal data, does not include analytics or tracking SDKs, and does not transmit your audio, transcripts, vocabulary, or recordings to any server controlled by the developer.

Data We Process On-Device Only

The following data is created and stored exclusively on your device in the app's sandbox. It is never sent to the developer or any third party.

Imported media files (audio/video you select from Photos, Files, or download via the Resource Library)
Microphone recordings you create for shadowing practice
Transcripts and translations generated by the app
Vocabulary, practice history, and app settings
Cached ASR (speech-recognition) and translation models downloaded from Apple's network or model providers

You can delete this data at any time by removing individual items from within the app, by clearing the in-app caches, or by deleting the app, which removes its sandbox.

Permissions Requested

Permission	Why FreeShadow asks	Sent off-device?
Microphone	To record your voice for shadowing practice	No — recordings stay on your device
Photo Library	To import videos you select for practice	No
Files	To import audio/video files you select	No

You may revoke any of these in iOS Settings → FreeShadow at any time.

Network Requests

FreeShadow makes network requests in only the following situations:

Podcast search — queries Apple's public iTunes Search API to find podcast metadata you've explicitly searched for.
Audio downloads — downloads podcast episodes, VOA Learning English audio, or LibriVox audiobooks directly from the publisher's servers when you tap "Download" or play a streamed item.
Model downloads — fetches speech-recognition (ASR) models from public providers (e.g., Hugging Face / k2-fsa repositories) the first time you enable a language. These are stored locally and reused.
System translation — when you opt into translation, Apple's on-device Translation framework is used. If a translation model is missing, iOS may download it from Apple.

None of these requests are routed through servers operated by the developer. The developer does not log, store, or analyze your network activity.

Third-Party Content

FreeShadow lets you search and stream/download publicly available third-party audio (Apple Podcasts catalog, VOA Learning English, LibriVox). FreeShadow does not host, modify, or redistribute this content; playback occurs directly between your device and the original publisher. Use of third-party content is subject to those publishers' own terms and privacy practices.

Children's Privacy

FreeShadow is rated 13+ and is not directed at children under 13. The app does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children. Because the app does not collect data, no special children's-data handling is required.

Data Sharing and Sale

FreeShadow does not share, sell, rent, or trade any user data. There is no advertising, no analytics SDK, no tracking, and no third-party services that profile you.

Security

Because all user data is stored only in the app's iOS sandbox on your device, it inherits the protections of iOS (per-app sandboxing, on-disk encryption when your device is locked, etc.). Network requests use HTTPS.

Your Rights

Since the developer does not collect or hold any of your data, requests to access, rectify, or delete personal data are fulfilled directly on your device:

Access / export: All data is stored as files within the app sandbox;
Deletion: Delete items in-app, or delete the app to remove everything.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. The effective date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted in the app's "About" screen.

Contact

For questions about this policy, contact:

Slyne
Email: <slynedeng@gmail.com>